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sILAs VWaan or RICHMOND, ILLINOIS. Lettera .Patent No. 69,279, dated Septemer 24, 1867.

IMPROVEMENT IN- ANIMAL TRAPS.

T-O ADL WHOM I MAY GONCERN Be it known that I, SIVLAS WARD, of Richmond, in the county of McHenry, and State of Illinois, have invented a 'new and improved -Animal'Trapg and I dohereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof,- which will enable others skilled in the art to make and .use the same, reference being had to the -accompanying' drawings, forming part of this specification, in whichy Figure l is a vertical longitudinal section 'of my improved trap taken through the line y y, fig. 2.

Figurev 2 is a vertical cross-section of-the same vtaken through the line z z, iig. l.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts. I

My invention has for its object to furnish an improved trap for catching rats, mice, ground-squirrels, quails, Etc., which shall he cheap, simple-in construetion,'not liable to getcut of order, and whi'ch shall be self-setting; and it consists' in the combination of' the pivotedplatforms, pivoted doors, connecting-rods, lever, and weight with each other and with the compartments ofthe trap, as hereinafter more fully described. v are' the main compartments of the trap, the ends of which are left open, asshown in iig. 1. B are 'the platforms'of the trap, the forward ends of which are connected to each other by a loose joint, so that they may more together.Y 'The side edges ofthe platformsBare pivoted, at'or near the middle points, to the sides ofthe trap, assliown in'ig. 1L C arethe doors, which are pivoted, near the upper ends of their side.- edges, to the sides of `thev trap-a shortdistance within Athe said trap, as sho-wu in vfig. 1., D are conneoting-bars, the lower shorter end of the lever E is pivot'ed the upper end of the connecting-rod G which passes down through abois-.

in the top .of the trap, and its lowerend i's pivoted to the inner end of o ne or the other of the pivotedvplatforms B. To the longer end ofthe lever E is p ivoted the upper end of the connecting-rod H which passes down through a hole or notch in the edge of the top of the compartment I, and to its lower end is attached a weight, J, which slides up and down alongthe side of the partition a which separates the compartmentsA and I, being kept in placeby grooved cleats K attaehedtc the sides of said partition. Through the lower part of the partition of is formed a hole, as shown in iig. 2, which said hole is covered by the weight J when lowered. The conpartQI ment I is removable, so that the animals-caught may be readily removed. One side of theeouipartment I- may be formed by a grating, so as to `admit light and air int'o the compartment.

In using the trap,it is set by placing the various parts in the position shown in the drawing, with vthe bait suspended from the bait-hodk L. Thel animals enter the trap by walking upon one or the other of the platends of-the platforms B, and by'means'of the connectinglbars- D closes the doors C. The same movement of the platforms B operates the lever Eiand raises the weight- J, uncoveringthe h ole through the partition a', through which hole the animal immediately rushes. As soon as the animal leaves the platforms B the Weight J descends, closing the hole through the partition a', and again sets the trap.

What I claim as new, and desire to.secure by Letters Patent, is-.

The coinbination of the pivoted platforms B'connectin'g-bars D, pivoted doors C, connecting-rofl G, lever E, connectinggod H, and weight J. with each other and with the compartments of the trap, substantially as herein shown and'described.

SILAS WARD.

Witnesses:

ALF` P. WELLS, H, H. SHELDON. 

